Automatic feed apparatus.



No. 660,831. f Patented out. 30, |900.

J. s. BEEMAN.

AUTUMATIG FEED APPARATUS.

(Appl cat on l dleb 12 1900) (No Model.)

Nrrnn STATES PATENT Prion.

JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN, OF' LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC FEED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 660,831, dated October30, 1900.

Application filed February l2, 1900. .Serial No. 4.985. (No model.)4

.To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SAMUEL BEE- MAN, a subject of the Queen ofEngland, residing at London, England, (and whose postoflice address isNo. 182 Earls Oou rt road, London,) have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to Automatic Feed Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention relates apparatus, its object being the provision ofmeans whereby articles which vary somewhat in length maybe automaticallyfed so that their forward ends are brought to a denite position to admitof uniform treatment. This is accomplished according to this inventionby first causing the end of the article to protrude too far through asupport or holder and then returning it partially, so that the protrudedportion of a definite length. The return of the article is brought aboutby an alteration in the relative position of the holder and a stop,either the stop or the holder, or both, moving for this purpose.

The accompanying drawings illustrate apparatus according to thisinvention applied, by way of example, to a portion of a machine in whichcigarettes are automatically fed so that their forward ends are broughtto a definite position for subsequent waxing or other tipping operation.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one construction, With portions brokenaway forthe l shaft D is mounted in suitable bearings, onev of whichis'shown at D2, and is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 1 by any suitable means. Two cams D3 and D4, the action of whichis hereinafter described, are carried by the shaft D.

The cigarettes are caused to pass from the to automatic feed` KVK' andthe bell-crank lever M.

trough B into the holder C by the action of'a plunger E, which makesthem protrude too far through the holder. The end of the plunger remotefrom the holder is attached to a slide F, free to reciprocate upon aguide G. The upper portion of the slide F accommodates the end of aleverH, the other end of the lever being pivoted to a support H. Uponthis support H' and attached to the lever l-I is a forked arm H2,controlled by a spring H5. Engaging with the forked arm H2 is a pin H4,carried upon an arm H5, which is pivotally mounted upona support H6 andcarries a friction-roller H7.

Mounted upon a frame J, which forms part of the fixed framework of themachine, is a lever K K', pivoted as at K2. 'Ihe lower end of this leverK6 acts as a stop to push back the prot-ruded end of the cigarette for acertain definite distance, the point to which the lever moves beingdetermined by an adjusting-screw L, carried in a bridge L', attached tothe frame J. The pivoted lever 'K K' is operated by one end of abell-crank lever M, which is pivoted, as at M', to the frame J andcarries at its other extremity a friction-roller M2, which works inconjunction with the cam D4. When the cam D4 is not operating upon thelever M, the top end of the latter is depressed into the position shownin Fig. 1 by the limb K' of the lever K K', this lever being kept incontact with the bellcrank lever M through the action of a spring K2.- Asmall spring K4, attached to the limb K', is interposed between thatlimb and the bell-crank lever M. This spring K4 is capable of regulationby means of a small screw K5. The function of the spring K4 is toprovide a yielding connection between the lever If such yieldingconnection did not exist, it would be difficult to adjust the limit ofthe motipn of the lever K K'.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: When the shaft D rotates, thecam D2 operates upon the friction-roller H7 and causes the arm H5 toturn about its pivot. Consequently the forked arm H2 turns against theaction of the spring H3 and carries with it the lever H. This actioncauses the slide F to move `forward along the guide G, and the-plunger Ecauses a cigarette N to enter the holder C and IOO protrude too t'arthrough it. This position of the cigarette Nis shown in full lines inFig. 1. As soon as the position of the cam D3 renders such actionpossible the springI-I3 causes the plunger E to return, and after thereturn stroke of the plunger E has commenced the cam Dtl operates uponthe friction-roller M2 and through the bell-crank lever M raises thelimb K of the lever K K and brings the bottom end or stop Kl" of thelimb K down into the position indicated in chain-lines in Fig. l, thuspartially returning the cigarette N into the holder C. As before stated,this position is a definite one, but may be altered slightly by means ofthe screw L.

Fig. 2 illustrates a portion of a modied construction of apparatusaccording to this invention. In this form the stop takes the shape of arigid bar KGO, adjustably secured to a bracket A20, in which thebearings A10 for the holder C10 are formed. The holder C10 is capable ofmotion to and from the bar KGO. For this purpose the holder C10 isengaged with the pinion C20 by means of a feather and feather-way C30,and the bell-crank lever M10 acts upon another bell-crank lever O10, thelower end of which is forked and operates between two collars orshoulders O upon the holder C10.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In automatic feed apparatus the combination of a support for thearticle, means for causing the article to protrude too far through thesupport and means for altering thereafter with precision the relativeposition of the article and support so that the protruded portion isreduced to a definite length.

2. In automatic feed apparatus the combination of a support for thearticle, a plunger operating to protrude the article too far through thesupport, means for reciprocating the plunger, a movable stop forpartially returning the article and means for bringing the stop into adeiinite position relatively to the support and for withdrawing it fromthat position substantially as set forth.

3. In automatic feed apparatus the combination of a support for thearticle, a plunger for causing the article to enter and protrude too farthrough the support, means for reciprocating the plunger, a pivotedstop-lever operating to partially return the article, a bellcrank leveroperatively connected to the pivoted stop-lever, a cam capable ofrotation and operating upon the bell-crank lever, adjustable means forlimiting the motion ofthe pivoted stop-lever and a spring controllingsuch lever substantially as set forth.

4. In automatic feed apparatus the combi nation of a support for thearticle, a plunger for causing the article to enter and protrude too farthrough the support, means for reciprocating` the plunger, a pivotedstop-lever 0perating to partially return the article, a bellcrank lever,a yielding connection between the pivoted stop-lever and the bell-eranklever, a cam capable of rotation and operating upon the bell-*cranklever, adjustable means for limiting the motion of the pivotedstoplever, and a spring controlling such lever, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN.

Witnesses HAROLD WADE, HARRY S. RIDGE.

